Genomic insights into the Ixodes scapularis tick vector of Lyme disease

Monika Gulia-Nuss(University of Nevada, Reno), Andrew B. Nuss(University of Nevada, Reno), Jason M. Meyer(Purdue University West Lafayette), Daniel E. Sonenshine(Old Dominion University), R. Michael Roe(North Carolina State University), Robert M. Waterhouse(Broad Institute), David B. Sattelle(University College London), José de la Fuente(Oklahoma State University), José M. C. Ribeiro(National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases), Karyn Mégy(European Bioinformatics Institute), Jyothi Thimmapuram(Purdue University West Lafayette), Jason Miller(J. Craig Venter Institute), Brian P. Walenz(J. Craig Venter Institute), Sergey Koren(J. Craig Venter Institute), Jessica B. Hostetler(J. Craig Venter Institute), Mathangi Thiagarajan(J. Craig Venter Institute), Vinita Joardar(J. Craig Venter Institute), Linda I. Hannick(J. Craig Venter Institute), Shelby Bidwell(J. Craig Venter Institute), M. Hammond(European Bioinformatics Institute), Sarah Young(Broad Institute), Qiandong Zeng(Broad Institute), Jenica Abrudan(University of Notre Dame), Francisca C. Almeida(Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona), Nieves Ayllón(Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos), Ketaki Bhide(Purdue University West Lafayette), Brooke W. Bissinger(North Carolina State University), Elena Bonzón‐Kulichenko(Spanish National Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Steven D. Buckingham(University College London), Daniel R. Caffrey(University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School), Melissa J. Caimano(University of Connecticut), Vincent Croset(University of Lausanne), Timothy Driscoll(Virginia Tech), Don Gilbert(Indiana University Bloomington), Joseph J. Gillespie(Virginia Tech), Gloria I. Giraldo-Calderón(University of Notre Dame), Jeffrey M. Grabowski(Purdue University West Lafayette), David D. Jiang(Virginia Tech), Sayed M.S. Khalil(Agricultural Genetic Engineering Research Institute), Dong‐Hun Kim(Entomological Society of America), Katherine M. Kocan(Oklahoma State University), Juraj Koči(Kansas State University), Richard Kühn(Purdue University West Lafayette), Timothy J. Kurtti(University of Minnesota), Kristin Lees(University of Manchester), Emma G. Lang(Purdue University West Lafayette), Ryan Kennedy(University of California, San Francisco), Hyeogsun Kwon(Entomological Society of America), Rushika Perera(Purdue University West Lafayette), Yumin Qi(Virginia Tech), Justin D. Radolf(University of Connecticut), Joyce M. Sakamoto(Pennsylvania State University), Alejandro Sánchez‐Gracia(Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona), Maiara S. Severo(University of California, Riverside), Neal Silverman(University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School), Ladislav Šimo(Kansas State University), Marta Tojo(Universidade de Santiago de Compostela), Cristian Tornador(Universitat Pompeu Fabra), Janice P. Van Zee(Purdue University West Lafayette), Jesús Vázquez(Spanish National Centre for Cardiovascular Research), Filipe Garrett Vieira(Universitat de Barcelona), Margarita Villar(Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos), Adam R. Wespiser(University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School), Yunlong Yang(Entomological Society of America), Jiwei Zhu(North Carolina State University), Peter Arensburger(California State Polytechnic University), Patricia V. Pietrantonio(Entomological Society of America), Stephen C. Barker(The University of Queensland), Renfu Shao(University of the Sunshine Coast), Evgeny M. Zdobnov(University of Geneva), Frank Hauser(University of Copenhagen), Cornelis J.P. Grimmelikhuijzen(University of Copenhagen), Yoonseong Park(Kansas State University), Julio Rozas(Universitat de Barcelona), Richard Benton(University of Lausanne), Joao H. F. Pedra(University of California, Riverside), David R. Nelson(University of Tennessee Health Science Center), Maria Unger(University of Notre Dame), José M. C. Tubío(Wellcome Sanger Institute), Zhijian Tu(Virginia Tech), Hugh M. Robertson(University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign), Martin Shumway(J. Craig Venter Institute), Granger Sutton(J. Craig Venter Institute), Jennifer R. Wortman(J. Craig Venter Institute), Daniel Lawson(European Bioinformatics Institute), Stephen K. Wikel(Quinnipiac University), Vishvanath Nene(J. Craig Venter Institute), Claire M. Fraser(Human Genome Sciences (United States)), Frank H. Collins(University of Notre Dame), Bruce W. Birren(Broad Institute), Karen E. Nelson(J. Craig Venter Institute), Elisabet Caler(J. Craig Venter Institute), Catherine A. Hill(Purdue University West Lafayette)
Nature Communications
February 9, 2016
10.1038/ncomms10507
Cited by 567Open Access
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Abstract

Ticks transmit more pathogens to humans and animals than any other arthropod. We describe the 2.1 Gbp nuclear genome of the tick, Ixodes scapularis (Say), which vectors pathogens that cause Lyme disease, human granulocytic anaplasmosis, babesiosis and other diseases. The large genome reflects accumulation of repetitive DNA, new lineages of retro-transposons, and gene architecture patterns resembling ancient metazoans rather than pancrustaceans. Annotation of scaffolds representing ∼57% of the genome, reveals 20,486 protein-coding genes and expansions of gene families associated with tick-host interactions. We report insights from genome analyses into parasitic processes unique to ticks, including host 'questing', prolonged feeding, cuticle synthesis, blood meal concentration, novel methods of haemoglobin digestion, haem detoxification, vitellogenesis and prolonged off-host survival. We identify proteins associated with the agent of human granulocytic anaplasmosis, an emerging disease, and the encephalitis-causing Langat virus, and a population structure correlated to life-history traits and transmission of the Lyme disease agent.

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